(NewsNation) — Several Republican presidential candidates have harshly criticized Vivek Ramaswamy after he accused them of having “selective moral outrage” over Hamas’ attacks on Israel and of seeking to profit from a war.
Responding to the criticisms, Ramaswamy condemned the “barbaric” actions of Hamas but said the U.S. government needs to have a “cool-headed” approach rather than “knee-jerk responses” to the war to avoid the situation devolving into a broader conflict.
“That hasn’t been good for the U.S. in the past; I don’t think it’ll be good for the U.S. here,” Ramaswamy said Monday on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” “I think we’ve been at our worst when it comes to our foreign policy in the wake of crises with emotional responses.”
He referenced comments from Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who said the U.S. should strike Iran if the war escalates, and from Nikki Haley, who suggested that Israel “finish them.“
“I don’t think those kind of histrionics are helpful,” Ramaswamy said.
The war has raised the stakes in the 2024 race for the White House, pushing foreign policy and national security issues to the front of the debate. It’s also showing a divide within the Republican Party, with anti-interventionist candidates pitted against more moderate foreign policy hawks.
“I do think what would be more helpful, and what I’m trying to lead the way with here, is a cool-headed response to say that we’re going to support Israel’s right to defend itself,” Ramaswamy said, “but I do think that some in the U.S. are getting ahead of their skis … in what we actually do here.”
The attacks carried out by Hamas have killed more than 1,400 Israelis. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed a “complete siege” of Gaza in response, and retaliatory airstrikes in Gaza have killed at least 2,778 and wounded 9,700, according to the Health Ministry there.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken completed a six-country tour through Arab nations this week to prevent the fighting from escalating into a broader regional conflict. He returned to Israel on Monday, meeting with Israel’s defense minister.
The Biden administration has vowed to support Israel with whatever military aid it needs, but President Joe Biden said Israel should use restraint in its response, warning in an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” that aired Sunday that Israel should not reoccupy Gaza.
“I think it’d be a big mistake,” Biden said. “Look, what happened in Gaza, in my view, is Hamas, and the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people. And I think that it would be a mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza again.”
The United States already provides $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel every year until 2028, and Ramaswamy said it would be a “mark of success” if there came a time when Israel no longer relied on that aid.
“I’ve said all along that we wouldn’t cut off aid to Israel until Israel tells us they’re ready for it, but I do think that it’s not just a check-the-box approach to say there’s an unlimited amount of aid to any given country,” Ramaswamy said.
“Many people say what nation would tell you (to cut off aid), but it turns out when (Netanyahu) led Israel in the 1990s, he actually gave the U.S. exactly that signal when it came to the civilian aid,” he added. “So, that’s the kind of relationship the U.S. and Israel have that will continue on my watch — it will be a relationship of candor and honesty.”